Loom shuttle



'July'zo, 1937. c, 'Q BROWN 2,087,871y

*LOOM SHUTTLE FileclvJam.l 29, 1936v O xl y i INVENTOR. j ]lzz meu @.BEOMHM l BY M M ATTORNEY.

Patented July zo, 1937 .,Carl D. Brown, Hopedale, Mass., assi'gnor to `Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application Januaryj29, 1936; Serial No. 6 1,r 367 4 claims. (ci. 139-217) The present invention pertains toautomaticall- 1y threading loom shuttles, and more particularly 'to suchshuttles ,embodying threadtensioning devices ofthe so-called spring clamp type.v

Shuttles of the type mentioned'are used, under certain' well-known conditions, in bobbin 'changing looms. The shuttles are accordingly so constructedthat `the lling thread enters into vthe l tension device automatically during thewauto` matic threadingcf the fillingy into lthe delivery devices of` the shuttle.` I find that the entering of the filling thread into the tension device is greatly facilitatedif the inner edge of the thread contacting surface of at least one of the friction membersis inclined from the 'threadentrance end of the tension device outwardly and toward the normal path of the lling thread at Ian acute angle to the direction in which the filling' thread normally runs. I further ffmd that if the inner edges of the friction `members arey inclined, as'

aforesaid, adjacent the normalpath of thelling thread through the tension device, any tendency of' the filling thread to balloon andthus move laterally'of itselfrjalong the friction members is greatlyrestricted. This restrictionis'objectionable in that so confining the filling thread toa'very narrow path `through the tension device causes the thread to wear grooves in the friction members. L f f f The present invention provides, in al shuttle of the type mentionedya Vspring clamp tension device wherein the inner edge of the thread c on' tacting surfaceof atleast Oneof the friction members is inclined in the proper direction I to facilitate threading, while thelinner edges'of both thread contacting surfaces, adjacent the lnormal path of `thevfilling thread,extendfsubstantially at right angles to suchpatnthereby veliminating the aforesaid wearingfof ygrooves in the friction members. f

The preferred `embodiment of the invention n is illustrated on the accompanying drawingf'of `which:

Fig. lis a plan view of the thread delivery end of the shuttle;

Fig. 2 isa view partly in elevation andpartly in section as indicated by liner22, Fig, 1, but to a smallerscale;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross-sectiontaken approxi` mately on line 3-3,'Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 isa View in elevation, and to an enlarged scale, ofthe friction membersdetachedfrom the-shuttle; and

Fig. 5 is a face viewof one of the friction memQ-"A` Y horizontal pin I3 inthe bottom of the threading block, the members then extending substantially bers `of Fig. 4. v

The shuttle shown on thedrawing is comprised of a shuttle bodyA I having a cavity 2 for. receivf ing an automatically, replaceable filling carrier such as bobbin 3, a threading block 4, and a side delivery eye 5. The shuttle body may be provided with athreacltrapping wall 6 as more fully disclosed in patent to W. 1.? Stimpson, vNo. l

1,985,960, granted Jan. 1, 1935.

The shuttle has a; 1ongimcunailyl extending threadpassage'l which is in alignment with the cavity'Z.' The thread passage, or as much thereof as isA in the threading block 4, isdened by the rear wall 8 and the front Vwall 9 ofthe threading block. Ajguard or horn I0 projects from the front wall "9 outwardly and rearwardly, as inthe said Stimpson patent. The term Outwardlyfis herein usedto meanin a .direction from the cavity 2 longitudinally Of the shuttle toward the tip, i. e., 4toward the right, Figs. 1 and 2. Other ex-k pressions denoting direction are applicable yto the 1 vis considered to be posishuttle when the same tioned in the loom. j

The'transferto the shuttle rier occurs when the shuttle is boxed on'the side'on the loom toward which the delivery'e'nd of. the shuttle points,'which isfon the right side of the loom for the shuttle shown on the drawof a new iillingcaring. The endof the lling thread f prior to and after the transfer extends from the filling` carrier longitudinally of the shuttle` to a suitable holder (not shown) as is well-known in the art. Shortly after the transfer the` shuttle is picked (toward the left, Fig. l). When the shuttle is picked the filling thread unwinds from the carrier and in so u nwinding swirls about, or balloons, thus passing beneath the horn I 0 andintdthe thread passage I.V picked in the` vopposite direction, whereupon' the 'Ihe shuttleY is thereafter f filling `thread slides forwardly and downwardly into the side delivery'eye 5. The path which the filling thread thereafter occupies, that is, from the filling carrier through fthe thread passage "I, beneathv the horn I0, and forwardly through the delivery eye 5, is the fnormaU path `of the filling thread as 'such expression i's'herein employed.

The shuttle asl thus farr described isf not of novel/construction, the principal features of novelty'of lthe shuttle shownon the drawing residing in the 'spring clamp tension device,ft`o

be described. The tension device is conventional in that it is comprised of a pair of` friction memberswhich are yieldingly pressed together toy exert a slip-grip On the running filling. The friction members II and I2 are, however, of novel construction as will presently appear.

The membersl II and I2 arenlounted inthe threading block to extend. transversely of the normal pathof the fillingv thread. `TO this end the members maybe slidably mounted on a Cil I4 which may be positioned beneath adjusting screw I5 accessible from the outside of the shuttle or beneath adjusting screw I6 which is accessible only when the threading block is removed frorn the shuttle (see Figs-3).

The tension device is open at its upper end to provide a thread-entrance I1 which is positioned a substantial distance laterally of the shuttle (in this instance vertically) from the aforesaid normal path of the filling thread. The upper ends of the friction members may be curved or flared as shown to more sharply define the thread-entrance and to facilitate the entrance of the filling thread into the tension device.

Each of the friction members II' and I2 has a thread engaging surface I8 (Figs. 3 and 5) which is preferably flat from the thread-entrance I'I to the bottom of the tension device. The inner edge of the thread engaging surface of at least one, but preferably both, of the friction members is constructed to lead or deflect the filling thread laterally of itself from the threadentrance down into the tension device. To this end, said inner edge is inclined from the threadentrance outwardly and toward the normal path of the filling thread, the edge I9 being inclined outwardly and downwardly generally at an acute angle to the longtiudinal axis of the shuttle. I find it to be desirable to make the inner edge portion I9 not straight but curved as shown.

The aforesaid inclination or curvature of the edge I9 terminates at a point which is an appreciable distance above the normal path of the filling thread. The inner edges of the thread contacting surfaces of both of the friction members are straight for a substantial distance on both sides of the normal path of the filling thread, and at a right angle to such path. In the embodiment shown, the straight portions 20 of the inner edges of the friction surfaces are substantially vertical from the edge I9 to the lower ends of the friction members.

It will be apparent that when the shuttle is first picked after transfer the filling thread in swirling about will be thrown into the thread entrance I'I. Then, as the shuttle continues in its flight the inclined or curved edge or edges vI9 will pull the filling thread downwardly into the tension device. I find that with the construction shown the filling thread will assume its position in the tension devices atleast as soon as it becomes positioned beneath the horn III. The filling thread will move further downwardly into its normal path when it threads into the side delivery eye as above described.

The invention as` above described provides a spring clamp tension device which threads quickly and easily but which, because of theright angle position of the edges 2U, permits the filling thread to move laterally of itself along the surfaces I8 and thus prevent the wearing of grooves in the latter. It may be added that the word edge as herein employed is not restricted to a sharp corner, the edges being preferably well defined but smooth or curved, as shown.

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of the present invention, I claim:

l. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a cavityfor a lling carrier, a threading block having a longitudinally extending thread passage in alignment with said cavity, and a first pick tension device of the spring clamp type positioned in said thread passage, said tension device being comprised of a. pair of friction members extending transversely of said thread passage and yieldingly pressed together to exert a slip-grip on the running filling thread, said tension device having an open thread-entrance end positioned a substantial distance transversely of the shuttle from the normal path of the filling thread through said passage, the inner edge of the thread engaging surface of at least one of said members being inclined from said threadentrance end outwardly and toward said normal path of the filling thread at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle, the inner edges of both of said surfaces on both sides of the normal path of the filling thread through said thread passage being straight and at substantially a right angle to said path.

2. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a cavity for a filling carrier, a threading block having a longitudinally extending thread passage in alignment with said cavity, and a first pick tension device of the spring clamp type positioned in said thread passage, said tension device being comprised of a pairof substantially vertical friction members yieldingly/pressed together to exert a slip-grip on the running filling thread, the upper end of said tension device being open and being positioned substantially. above the normal path of the filling thread through said thread passage, the inner edge of the thread engaging surface of at least one of said members being inclined downwardly and outwardly from the upper end thereof to a point above said path of the filling thread, the inner edges of both of said surfaces on both sides of said path being straight and substantially vertical.

3. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a threading block, said vthreading block having a path therethrough wherein the filling thread normally runs, and a spring clamp tension device carried by said threading block, said tension device being comprised of a pair of friction members extending transversely of said path and yieldingly pressed together to exert a slipgrip on the running filling thread, said tension device having ari-open thread-entrance end positioned a substantial distance from said path transversely thereof, the inner edge of the thread engaging surface of at least one of said members being curved from said entrance end longitudinally outwardly and toward said path for the purpose described, the inner edges of both ofy said surfaces on both sides of said path being straight and at substantially a right angle to said path.

4. An automatically threading loom shuttle 5'" having a threading block, said threading block having a path therethrough wherein the filling thread normally runs, and a spring clamp tension device carried by said threading block, said tension device being comprised of a pair of substantially vertical friction members yieldingly pressed together to exert a slip-grip on the running filling, the upper end of said tension device being open and being positioned a substantial distance above said path, the inner edge of the thread engaging surface of at least one of said members being curved outwardly and downwardly from a said upper end to a point above said path, f or the purpose described, and the inner edges of both of said surfaces being vertical and substantially straight from said point to a point materially below said path.

CARL D. BROWN. 

